Adjustable instep support



Jan. 13. 1925. 1,523,353

F. J. WINCHELL ADJUSTABLE INSTEP SUPPORT I Filed April 19. 1924 Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

warren srATEs FREE-MAN J. WINCHELL, OF NAHANT, MASSACHUSETTS.

ADJUSTABLE INSTEP SUPPORT.

Application filed April 19, 1924. Serial No. 707,641.

To all whom 2'25 may concern Be it known that I, FREEMAN J. WIN- OHELL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Nahant, county of Essex, Coinmonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an lnlprovement in Adjustable Instep Supports, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts in each of the several views.

This invention relates to instep supports adapted to be fitted in shoes and boots, and having a capability of easy and. convenient adjustment so as to protect the foot-engaging surface of the support upward to the proper degree to fit correctly the instep curvature of the foot of the wearer. The instep support of my invention comprises a unit composed of relatively adjustable portions that is adapted to be either permanently fixed in the shoe in the course of manufacture thereof, or produced so as to be used as a slip-in removably fitted in the shoe as it is worn. In either case the operative element of the adjusting device is readily accessible for making any required adjustments. The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention Will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the distinctive features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view showingthe instep support of my invention applied to the innersole of a shoe with a portion of the innersole lining laid back to show the instep support more clearly;

Fig. 2 is a side or edge elevationthereof with a portion of the heel and outer sole shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 88 of Fig. 1 on a relatively enlarged scale; and

Fig. 4L is a plan view of the device as produced to be used as a slip-in.

I provide stout metallic plates, 10, 11 of a length adapted to extend well across the instep portion of the shoe and having a lateral dimension and outline adapted to conform generally to the innersole of the shoe. The lower one 10 of these plates is preferably of somewhat heavier stock than the plate 11, and it is convexed upwardly to a small extent, while the upper plate 11 is convexed upwardly to a substantially greater extent to allow room for the adjusting device to be described, to be located between these plates. The rear ends of these plates are secured together by rivets 12, which may have downwardly projecting prongs 13- adapted to be driven down and clinched in the outer sole 0 and heel H as indicated at 12. At their forward ends, these plates are held assembled by a rivet or stud 13 which may be fixedly engaged in the lower plate 10, and extends upward through a somewhat elongated slot 14 in the upper plate 11, with a head engaging over the plate at the locality of this slot to permit relative sliding movement of the forward end of the plate 11 with respect to the plate 10. A turn buckle 15 is fitted to extend transversely between these plates intermediate the length thereof, with oppositely threaded end portions, 15, 15 and with its extremities somewhat upset or headed as indicated at 15 to prevent removal of the nuts 16, which are engaged on the oppositely threaded end portions of this turn buckle. The intermediate head 15 of this turn buckle, is equipped with a suitable plurality of spaced apart radial apertures to receive a small pin or like operating tool for turir ing the same. The upper plate 11 is slotted at the locality of this head 15 so as to permit access thereto, from above for turning the same. The nuts 16 have their under sides beveled as indicated at 16" to engage transversely beveled ways 17, which arev formed as transverse depressions intermediate the length of the lower plate 10, these ways sloping upwardly toward the center of said plate. The device thus constituted is adapted to be fitted between the body of the innersole 18, and the top lining 19 thereof with such top lining extending over and covering the plate 11. This lining is provided with a slot 20 at the locality of the turn buckle head 15 to permit access thereto. The device is thus adapted to be applied to the shoe subsequent to the lasting thereof in the course of its manufacture with the pronged rivets 12 driven through the in nersole l8 and clinched into the outer sole as described. Instead of thus fixing the de= vice as a permanent part of the shoe, it may luii be produced as shown in Fig. i as a slipi.n adapted to be detachably fitted in the shoe. The device as here shown is the same as already described, though the elongated slot-s permitting relative movement between the plates are shown as associated with the rear rivets 12 instead of with the forward rivet 13. In this case a liner or cover 21 of leather or other suitable material, may be adhesive 1y or otherwise secured to the top plate 11, this cover having a rearward extension 21 adapted to lit the heel of the shoe, and preferably also having a forward expansion 21" extending some distance forwardly from the end of the adjusting plates.

Thus by operatingthe turn buckle 15 by means of a suitable pin applied to the holes in the head 15 thereof, the nuts 16 which constitute wedge members operative between the plates 10and 11, will cause the upper plate 11 to be pressed upwardly more or less according to the requirements of the particular wearer and so that a. proper support for his instep is assured without a too great upward projection which would cause discomfort; In practice I have found that a range of adjustment of about three-eighths of an inch is adequate for this purpose. I am aware that the invention may be embodied in otherspecific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing descriptionto indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim-as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable instep support, comprising two plates adapted to be fitted to the instep portion of a shoe and extending thereacross, and an adjusting device, comprising a turn buckle extending transversely between said plates and engaging wedge nuts at its opposite end portions, with said nuts engaging said plates to spread them apart to a greater or less degree at will.

2. An adjustable instep support, comprise ing two plates secured together in superposed relation, and extending across the instep portionof a shoe with an adjusting device extending transversely between said plates intermediate the length thereof and embody I ing wedging nuts engaging the respective side portions ofthe plates to spread them apart more or less at will, and means engaging said nuts to actuate them simultaneously. r

3. An adjustable instep'support, comprising two plates differentially convexed up w'ardly and securedtogetherfixedly at one end with their other ends held for relative sliding"movement, and an adjustable device extending transversely between said plates intermediate the length thereof embodying wedging nuts engaging said plates at opposite sides thereof to spread them apart more or less at will, and means engaging said nuts to actuate them simultaneously,

said means accessible from the top of said support.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my:

name to this specification.

FREEMAN J. WINCH-ELL. 

